Safety
Colonial Pipeline CEO Acknowledges ‘Controversial Decision’ to Pay Hackers
Colonial Pipeline's CEO acknowledged to the Wall Street Journal that his company paid a $4.4 million ransom to hackers as executives were unsure how badly its systems were breached or how long it would take to restore the pipeline.
Analysis: Cyberattack Exposes Lack of Required Defenses on U.S. Pipelines
The shutdown of the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline by a ransomware attack highlights a systemic vulnerability: Pipeline operators have no requirement to implement cyber defenses.
Enhancing Safety with Integrated Rupture Disk Assemblies
For decades, rupture disks have served the oil and gas industry as an effective, passive safety mechanism to protect against overpressure or potentially damaging vacuum conditions.
Colonial Pipeline Increases Estimate of Gasoline Spilled in North Carolina
New data shows the amount of gasoline released in Mecklenburg County’s Oehler Nature Preserve exceeds Colonial Pipeline’s 1.2-million-gallon estimate.
Equinor LNG Plant Broke Rules Ahead of 2020 Fire, Watchdog Says
Equinor must fix a series of rule breaches exposed by a fire at its Melkoeya LNG plant in Norway last year for the plant to reopen, the country's safety watchdog said on Thursday.
Gazprom Helping Determine Lawful Ownership of Russian Gas Pipelines
In the absence of lawful owners, gas networks and pipelines lack proper control and maintenance. More than 70% of such facilities are in the North Caucasus, Volga and Siberian Federal Districts.
LOOP, Phillips 66 Win 2020 Distinguished Pipeline Safety Awards
The American Petroleum Institute announced LOOP LLC and Phillips 66 Pipeline LLC are the winners of the 2020 Distinguished Pipeline Safety Awards, which recognize operators who have distinguished themselves as champions of industry innovation and operational excellence.
Pipeline Company Recognizes April as National Safe Digging Month
Georgia’s Colonial Pipeline is reminding homeowners and contractors that safe digging must remain a priority to protect people and prevent damage to critical utility services.
Failed Fitting Led to 1,200 Barrel Oil Leak from Trans Mountain Pipeline
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada completed its investigation into a June 2020 release of crude oil at the Trans Mountain Sumas pump station in British Columbia, determining a 1-inch pipeline fitting was the source of the leak.
CASE STUDY: Free Span Assessment of Subsea Pipelines
Free spanning of subsea pipelines is a concern during both the installation and operational phase of the pipeline life and needs to be monitored to ensure the integrity of the pipeline.
New PHMSA Rules Ease Burdens, Maintains Safety
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) re-examination of the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations should ease regulatory burdens on the construction, maintenance and operation of gas transmission, distribution and gathering pipeline systems, according to the final rule in the Federal Register.
NTSB Looks to Improve Pipeline Leak Detection and Mitigation
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board named improving pipeline leak detection and mitigation as an item on its “Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements” for 2021-2022, the agency announced.
Improving Natural Gas Distribution Systems to Ease Pressure Risks
This article examines redundant overpressure protection (OPP) requirements at the city gates in the U.S. and how several operators are at risk of noncompliance as states begin to enforce redundant OPP requirements specifically at the city gates.
Many Benefits Occur Within Integration of the Control Room with SCADA
Implementing comprehensive control room management (CRM) with modern SCADA systems can offer utilities and pipeline operators myriad benefits, particularly when it comes to improving pipeline safety.
Spotlight on Utilities
Routine calls for utility workers led to lives being saved due to their proper training and quick thinking.
SBS Energy Sets Record in GOM Decommissioning Project
SBS Energy Services (SBS) completed a multiphase project to decommission 29,000 feet (8,839 meters) of 10-by-6-inch (254-by-152-mm) insulated pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in partnership with Helix Energy Solutions, setting a new offshore snubbing unit/hydraulic workover world record.
Why Investors Should Care about Challenges Mitigating Gas Flaring
Flaring has been a lightning rod for criticism of the upstream oil and gas sector due to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions it creates, as well as the perceived wastefulness by the companies who flare. What some may not realize is that the alternative, known as “venting,” is even more damaging.
Canada's Suncor Energy Reviewing Mining Safety After Three Workers Killed
The incidents follow accidents during construction of Trans Mountain Corp's oil pipeline expansion, causing it to halt work temporarily.
Pipeline Integrity: History of Direct Assessment Process
Direct assessment is a process through which a pipeline operator determines a pipeline’s integrity through integrating knowledge of the physical characteristics and operating history of a pipeline with the results of diagnostic testing.
Action Remains Best Defense Against Pipeline Cyberattack
Among other consequences, a major cyber-breach could result in additional disruptions to commodity prices, widespread energy shortages or outages, and loss of life and property.
Choosing, Using Composite Repair Systems
There are many variables when considering a composite repair, making it almost impossible for a single, ready-made composite to work well in every situation.
Pipeline Safety: New Directions, Old Concerns
B&V is advocating for a more integrated, advanced and complete system for the management of long-haul pipelines. The company has drilled down to pipeline control rooms and their management, noting operators need to look beyond the stringent regulations governing their operations.
No injuries or interruption after Ukraine pipeline explosion
The accident occurred at a section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod gas pipeline in the Poltava region, the Ukrainian Gas Transportation System Operator said.
Explosion Hits Gas Pipeline in Egypt’s Sinai, No Casualties
An explosion at a key natural gas pipeline in Egypt’‘s restive northern Sinai Peninsula caused a fire but no human casualties, a senior official said. He added the explosion will not affect the pipeline’‘s supply to el-Arish’s residential areas or an industrial zone in central Sinai.
Federal Officials Investigate Fiery Oil Train Derailment
U.S. federal and local authorities were investigating a fiery oil car train derailment north of Seattle, Wash., near where two people were arrested last month and accused of attempting a terrorist attack on train tracks to disrupt plans for a natural gas pipeline.
Appropriate Methods for Repairing Pipelines
Over many decades now, the ever-growing network of on- and offshore pipelines has transported an increasing volume of refined petroleum products, industrial chemicals, crude oil and natural gas to commercial and household customers. North America is a case in point.
Nebraska Pipeline Rupture Likely Caused by 3rd-Party
A natural gas pipeline in rural Nebraska has been repaired after a rupture caused an explosion that was large enough to be seen by satellite. Northern Natural Gas said “a series of scores and gouges were found across the impacted pipeline segment,"
Explosion Caused by Natural Gas Pipeline on Field
A pipeline rupture caused an explosion in a field near Lyons, Neb., on Christmas Day that was large enough to be seen by satellite. There were no reported injuries.
Explosion Hits Gas Pipeline in Egypt’s Sinai
An explosion at a key natural gas pipeline in Egypt’s restive northern Sinai Peninsula caused a fire but no human casualties, a senior official told the Associated Press.
Magellan Midstream Tank Explosion Injures 7 in Corpus Christi
Seven Magellan Midstream Partners employees were injured, four critically, when a storage tank at a Magellan plant in Corpus Christi exploded after catching fire Saturday morning, according to deputy Fire Chief Richie Quintero.
- Phillips 66 to Shut LA Oil Refinery, Ending Major Gasoline Output Amid Supply Concerns
- FERC Sides with Williams in Texas-Louisiana Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- Malaysia’s Oil Exports to China Surge Amid Broader Import Decline
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Marathon Oil to Lay Off Over 500 Texas Workers Ahead of ConocoPhillips Merger
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
